Queen Latifah to star in Lee Daniels’ drama pilot

Fresh off her role in NBC’s hit live production of The Wiz, Queen Latifah also earned an Emmy nomination for her starring role in HBO’s Bessie.

Last week she was a wizard, but this week Queen Latifah has a new job.

Queen Latifah is taking some newbie singers under her wing for Empire creator Lee Daniels’ drama pilot about a girl group.

Queen Latifah will anchor the young cast, playing Carlotta, the owner of an Atlanta beauty salon who has an fantastic voice and becomes a surrogate mother to the three girls in the group, even though she doesn’t approve of their musical dreams.

As previously reported, transgender actress Amiyah Scott will play “Cotton”, a friend of the girls who harbors dreams of becoming a star herself.

However, Walden later revealed that “Star” will be “a wholly contained original series”, she said as quoted by the publication.

The publication reports that Fox’s description about the character of Demorest as Star reads as “the tough 18-year-old who spent her childhood in and out of foster homes after the death of her mother, and who will do anything to become the star she was named to be”. In contrast is 20-year-old Alexandra (Ryan Destiny), a child of wealth and privilege who wants to make “authentic” music. The New Jersey native has been cast in Lee Daniels’ newest untitled Fox project.

“Star” is written, directed and executive produced by Daniels. Brittany O’Grady will play Star’s younger sister Simone, who was left in an abusive foster home five years before. Pamela Oas Williams (Lee Daniels’ The Butler) and Effie Brown (Dear White People) also serve as exec producers.